System of electrical distribution.



F. CASIIGLIONI.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. I9I2.

1,160,842; Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

COLUMBIA PLANOQRAPN co.,IIAsH|NflTON, D- c.

FERRUCCIO cAs'rIGnIoNI,

OF WILMET'IE, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

Application filed August 28, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnRRUooIo GASTIGLI- 0N1, a subject of the King ofItaly, residing at Vilmette, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systemsof Electrical Distribution, of which the follow ing is a full, clear,concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to systems of electrical distribution for power,traction and the like, and has for its object to prevent or re duceelectrolysis in underground structures including pipes, cables and thelike.

In the accompanying drawings the figure is an illustration more or lessdiagrammatic of an electrical distribution system embodying my presentinvention.

The drawing or view is illustrative of the trolley system and also of anoverhead or elevated system, together with the connections and apparatusand cars therefor. For example, the trolley or surface system isillustrated by a'trolley car 1, running on rails 2 and having itstrolley pole in connection with the trolley wire 3. The overhead orelevated system is represented by the ele vated structure 4 on which isshown a car 5 traveling on rails 6 and 7. A third rail 8 is also shownmounted on the elevated structure alongside of the other rails for theusual purpose. I have shown also the power house 9 for the trolleysystem, said power house containing one or more generators 10, thepositive pole-of which is connected with the trolley wires 3, andthenegative pole of which is connected to the running rails 2, the currentthus being fed to the trolley system from the positive pole of thegenerator or generators and returned through the rails and usualconnection between the running rails 2 and the generator. I have alsoshown the power house 11 of the elevated system containing a generatoror generators 12, the negative pole of which is connected with the thirdor feed rail 8 of the elevated structure, and the positive pole of whichis connected to the running rails 7. Thus in the elevated system thecurrent supply is re versed from that in the trolley system, thenegative pole being connected with the sup- Dly or feed wires and thereturn being to the positive pole of the generator.

shown a connection 13 between the-ground Specification of LettersPatent.

I have alsoboosts the positive current out of the pipes.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Serial No. 717,459.

connections of the power houses 9 and 11. I have also shown a pipe 1-1embedded in the ground. such pipe being merely illustrative of a gas orwater pipe or other embedded article or device in which in so many casesdamaglng electrolytic effects take place, and this pipe l t is shownconnected with the rails 7-7 of the elevated system. Thus the rails 2 ofthe surface system are charged with positive current and the pipe 14 isalso charged, by reason of leakage from the rails 2. with positivecurrent of lower voltage than in the rails, but in certain points also(if higher voltage, depending upon the location with reference to thepower station. The stray current which is carried in undergroundstructures is mainly derived from surface systems, because the railsthereof lie relatively near to pipes and other underground structuresthroughout the area of a city, while the elevated and subway systems areordinarily .better insulated from the ground, are less numerous than thesurface systems, and are relatively far removed from the pipes andunderground structures, and consequently there is less tendency for thecurrent to leak or stray from the elevated or subway systems tounderground structures. By having the positive terminal of the generatorof the surface system connected to the trolley wire 3, and the negativeterminal of the generator grounded and also connected to the runningrails 2 of the system, which is the common or ordinary arrangement andfrom which stray currents pass to the pipes or other undergroundstructures, and by having the generator of the elevated system or thesubway system, as the case may be, connected to the system reverselywith respect to the connection of the surface sys tem and its generator.the running rails 7 of the elevated or subway system are of negativepotential with reference to the ground, and therefore of lower potentialthan the running rails 2 of the surface svs-. tem, which are positivewith relation to the ground, and consequently the stray current in thestructure 14 will flow to the rails 7 of the elevated or subway system,and there can never be a reverse flow from the ele- ,vated system orsubway system to the under- ,ground structure. By this arrangement,electrolysis and damaging electrolytic effects ill be prevented orgreatly reduced. The negative potential of the elevated rails It will beunderstood, of course, that connection between the elevated system andthe pipes to be protected is made in many and various places, so that anetwork of pipes is really connected with a network of elevated tracks.It will be seen that this result is accomplished by simple meansinvolving very little expense and so no large outlay of money isrequired to bring about this highly desirable result of freeing thelocality of the electrical systems from electrolysis and electrolyticefiects.

It will be seen that there is no interference between the two systemsand no need of compensating or balancing either one by the other. Notonly are the two systems completely separate in their distribution sothat no difiiculty in operation follows, but at the same time there areno maintenance expenses and there is certainty that stray currents ifany in the ground will flow only into the pipes and not out of the sameexcept over connections provided for them, thus insuring againstelectrolytic efiects because it is well known and admitted that sucheffects come only where electric currents leave pipes in the ground,especially at places where the ground is moist. Furthermore, the systemalways maintains its efficiency, because trailic on the two systems willincrease and decrease in about the same proportion, being greatest atthe rush hours in both s stems and otherwise varying about the same.

It will be noticed that the invention is described by way of example inconnection with two different kinds of traction systems, that is surfacelines and elevated systems. The invention is capable of use with othersystems, however, for example with surface lines and underground or withsurface lines, underground and elevated. In case of surface lines andunderground, the underground would be arranged as the elevated systemhere shown. In case of surface lines and elevated and underground, thethree systems, two of the systems would be connected as the trolleysystem is herein shown, and the other or third would be connected as theelevated herein shown. In case or" a single system, as for exampletrolley lines, a part of the system, as for example a belt or crosstownline would be connected as the elevated system is here shown, thebalance being connected as the trolley line is shown herein.

The connection between the grounds of the two power houses can beeffected at very low expense by means of the existing network or" rails;but in case special connections may seem-necessary they can be-providedat little expense, because the amount of current to be carried is alwaysquite small; The essential thing is to have the generators of theseveral systems in circuit, which can be ac-, complished by groundingthe negative terminal of one and the positive terminal of the otherwhere the power houses are sufficiently close together, but where thepower houses are relatively remote, the terminals should be elect icallyconnected by a metallic conductor.

In the claims, I have made use of the expression independent andphysically distinct electric traction systems, and this expression isintended to mean surface and elevated systems, surface and subwaysystems, or a combination of these three different systems.

It will be understood that changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

I. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination ofindependent and physically distinct D. C. electric traction systems, andan electrically conductive underground structure in electric proximityto one of the traction systems, each traction system having its owngenerator, running rails and supply conductor, the running rails of onetraction system constituting the positive side of said system, andreversely running rails of the other system constituting the negativeside of its system, the generators of the reversed systems being incircuit, and a plurality of low resistance bonds extending between theunderground structure and the running rails of the first-mentionedsystem, whereby electrolytic damage to the underground structure isreduced.

2. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination ofindependent and physically distinct D. C. electric traction systems, andan electrically conductive underground structure in electric proximityto one of the traction systems, each traction system having its owngenerator, running rails and supply conductor, the running rails of onetraction system constituting the positive side of said system, andreversely running rails of the other traction system constituting thenegative side of its system, a plurality of low resistance bondsextending between the underground structure and the running rails of thefirst-mentioned system, and an electric connection between the terminalsof the reversed generators of the traction systems, whereby electrolyticdamage to the underground structure is reduced.

3. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination ofindependent and physically distinct D. 0. electric traction systems, oneof said systems being substantially insulated from the ground, the othersystem not being insulated from the ground, an electrically conductiveunderground structure in electric proximity to the system which is notinsulated from the ground, each system having its own generator, runningrails and supply conductor, the running rails of the substantiallyinsulated system constituting the positive side of said systern, andreversely the running rails of the said other system constituting thenegative side of its system, the generators of the reversed systemsbeing in circuit, and a plurality of low resistance bonds extendingbetween the underground structure and the running rails of thesubstantially insulated system, whereby electrolytic damage to theunderground structure is reduced.

4. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination ofindependent and physically distinct D. C. electric traction systems, oneof said systems being substantially insulated from the ground, the othersystem not being insulated from the ground, an electrically conductiveunderground structure in electric proximity to the system which is notinsulated from the ground, each system having its own generator, runningstantially insulated system, and a connection between the terminals ofthe reversed generators of the traction systems, whereby electrolyticdamage to the underground structure is reduced.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day ofAugust, A. D., 1912.

FERRUCCIO CASTIGLIONI.

Witnesses:

A. MILLER BELFIELD, A. L. JoNEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C."

